Silver Fever
by Kenna Monster
Summary: After Johnny's run in with the Surfer, he can't control his power and has to keep his distance from the others. But when he becomes sick, will the team be able to save him?
1. Chapter 1

**Fantastic 4 Silver Surfer...after Johnny's run in with the silver surfer, he can't control his power and has to keep his distance from the others. But when he becomes sick and doesn't tell anyone else, will the team be able to save him? **

Johnny's chest ached, and his head throbbed in time with his pulse. He rolled over onto his side, huddling under his blankets in an attempt to stay warm. The fact that he felt cold barely registered in his muddled brain.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Susan peeked her head in, surprised to find her brother still lying in bed.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" she asked. Johnny mumbled something, scrunching further under the blankets.

"Reid wants to run some more tests," Susan added, watching Johnny. Slowly he sat up, disentangling himself from the sheets. His hair stuck up in all directions, and Susan expected him to head for the bathroom and take an hour to get ready, but instead he simply grabbed a sweatshirt and pulled it on over his t-shirt. Susan was amazed to see him wearing faded gray sweats, considering he usually hardly wore clothes at all.

"Lead the way," he said, looking at her.

Johnny followed Susan down the hall to Reid's lab, crossing his arms over his chest to hide the fact that he was shivering. He wished he had grabbed socks, the floor was cold on his bare feet.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Ben teased, looking at Johnny's messy hair and odd outfit. The kid merely looked at him blearily, shuffling his feet around on the floor.

"I want to see if there are any more residual interference with your molecules, or if it was just a temporary glitch," Reid explained, stretching his arm and grabbing a syringe from a cabinet on the other side of the room.

"Sure," Johnny said, just wanting to get the test over with so he could go back to bed. He really wasn't feeling too great.

"What's that for?" Susan asked, watching as Reid injected Johnny with the light green liquid.

"Helps me see the Surfer's energy signature when I'm looking at Johnny's molecules," Reid replied.

Johnny knew the drill, and laid down on the examining table, the metal chilly to the touch. "Could someone get me a blanket?" he asked.

"Are you sure you feel alright?" Susan asked, looking at her brother closely.

"Peachy," Johnny replied, closing his eyes and willing his headache away. A blanket suddenly covered him, and he opened his eyes in surprise. Ben grinned at him.

"We want our lab rat comfortable," he said.

"Alright Johnny this shouldn't take long," Reid said, starting the scanner. Johnny closed his eyes, trying to stay as relaxed as possible.

It felt like only a few minutes had passed, but when Johnny heard Susan calling his name and blinked open his eyes, he was surprised to find Reid, Susan and Ben standing around him.

"Johnny, can you hear me?" Reid asked, shining a light in his eyes.

"Yah I hear you, you don't have to yell," Johnny replied, slowly sitting up. His head felt heavy and his chest was tight, but he figured he just needed some more sleep.

"You wouldn't wake up," Susan said. Johnny looked at her, shocked to see how concerned she was.

"And we couldn't touch you," Reid added. Johnny began to understand why his sister looked so worried; not being able to simply reach out and wake him up probably was frustrating, and a little scary.

"Guys, I feel fine," Johnny said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up. "I'm just tired, okay?"

He walked out of the lab, feeling three sets of eyes follow him around the corner and out of sight. Once he was clear, he reached out and grabbed the wall for support. Everything was spinning around him and the floor felt like it was the deck of a ship. Johnny willed himself forward, reaching his room and collapsing on his bed, halfheartedly tugging the blankets around him before he dropped back into sleep.

The blaring alarm roused Johnny from his sleep. He sat up, looking around him. It took a moment for his brain to catch up with the situation, then he was scrambling to his feet and hurrying down the hall.

"The surfer's in London," Reid explained. Johnny tried to focus on what was being said, but his headache was making everything too bright. When Susan looked at him he tried to pay more attention, not wanting the others to notice how miserable he felt.

"Are you okay?" Susan asked. She wanted to reach out and touch her brother, make sure he was alright, but until they were sure what effect the Surfer had on him, no contact was their only option.

"Great," Johnny replied, following Ben and Reid to the jet. He ignored everyone's looks as he climbed in, knowing he was way too tired to be able to fly to London on his own steam.

They took off, and Johnny closed his eyes, wishing he had packed a blanket or something. His suit wasn't built to keep him warm.

By the time they landed a few hours later, Johnny felt downright miserable. He stumbled as he climbed out of the jet, and Reid almost reached out to help him before remembering and quickly withdrawing his hand.

"My energy readings say he's still in the area," Reid said, checking his scanner. The team walked towards the edge of the river, looking around for any sign of a disturbance. Suddenly the Surfer rose out of the river, floating level with them. He looked at them with an impassive face, then turned and began to fly away.

"Johnny, follow him but keep your distance," Reid oredered. Johnny braced himself, hoping he had enough energy in him to make it.

"Flame on!" he yelled, bursting into flame and rising from the ground. He felt unsteady, wobbly as he tried to follow after the Surfer, doing his best to stay on the alien's trail.

Though after a few moments of zigzagging over the city, Johnny knew he wouldn't be able to last much longer. His chest ached, each breath ripping through his lungs. His eyesight was blurry, and his flying was erratic. Finally he gave up, landing in an alley. He squatted, putting his head between his knees and trying to make the dizziness go away.

"Johnny?" Susan asked, his intercom crackling to life.

"Just give me a second," he said, still fighting his body.

"Johnny, what's wrong?" Reid asked, all business.

"Feel sick," Johnny admitted, slowly lowering himself down to the ground so he was sitting. He put his head in his hands, black dots dancing across his vision.

"We're coming to get you," Susan said.

"Hurry," Johnny said, feeling himself slip away.

Susan wasn't prepared for the sight that met her when they followed Johnny's beacon and landed near an alley. Johnny was slumped on the ground, not moving, face pale. Susan rushed to him, but Reid grabbed her and held her back.

"We have to be careful," he said, pulling out his cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" Ben asked.

"Old colleague works here, he should be able to transport Johnny to a lab," Reid replied.

"He won't be affected by Johnny's problem?" Susan asked, kneeling beside her brother.

"I'm certain only those of us with altered genetic sequences will be affected by whatever the Surfer did to Johnny," Reid replied.

Susan looked down at her brother, worry building. Something was really wrong with him, and she just desperately wanted answers.


	2. Chapter 2

"Johnny?" the voice filtered through the darkness, bringing him into awareness. As he slowly drifted closer to waking he became aware of a strange beeping, and the feel of something on his face.

"Johnny, you need to wake up," the voice said, and even though he was exhausted, he fought against the pull of unconsciousness and blinked open his eyes. He was surprised to find he was lying in a bed surrounded by medical equipment, Susan sitting in a chair next to him. She looked how he felt, though she managed a small smile when she saw that he was awake.

"How do you feel?" she asked, studying him.

Johnny pulled the oxygen mask off his face. "Tired," he replied. "Where are we?"

"London, Reid has an old friend that lives here," Susan replied. "He's been treating you for the past two days."

"Two days?" Johnny asked, shocked that he'd lost that much time. At that moment Reid, Ben, and another man entered the room.

"Johnny, this is my colleague Doctor Matthews. He's been trying to figure out what's the cause of your illness," Reid said.

"I believe it's a virus, from your contact with the Surfer's radiation. Your body is struggling to fight it off any way it can," Dr. Matthews explained.

"Is that why he collapsed?" Susan asked.

"That was due to the high fever and dehydration, which we're still treating," the doctor replied.

"So he's going to be fine?" Ben asked.

"I'd prefer to keep him here under observation, but I understand your job requirements. As long as you don't strain yourself and get plenty of rest, you should be completely back to normal in a week or so," Dr Matthews replied, looking at Johnny.

"Promise," Johnny said, anything to get out of the hospital and to his own bed. He sat up, closing his eyes in an attempt to make the world stop spinning.

"Are you alright?" Susan asked.

"Yah, just give me a minute," Johnny replied, slowly swinging his legs over the side of the bed then standing up. He felt weak on his feet, but at least he was vertical.

"Come on hotshot, let's get you to the jet," Ben said, walking forward and grabbing Johnny's elbow to steady him. Johnny recoiled, expecting something to happen.

"The effects of the Surfer wore off," Reid explained.

"Oh, well that's good," Johnny said, too tired to really care that he wasn't a leper anymore. He wondered why no one was celebrating, or why they kept looking at him so strangely. He stumbled, but Ben was there to hold him upright.

"Let's go home," Susan said. Ben helped him down the hall and out to the landing pad where their jet awaited them.

"Here, he might need this," Doctor Matthews said, handing Susan a blanket. Once Ben had helped Johnny get in his seat, she tucked it tightly around her brother.

"Get some sleep, we'll be home before you know it," Susan said.

Johnny obeyed, closing his eyes. He felt the jet vibrate as Reid started the engine, but after that was nothing but peaceful oblivion.

* * *

"If you think I'm staying in bed you're crazy," Johnny said, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.

"You need to rest," Susan argued.

"We can handle the situation without you," Reid added.

"Come on guys, I feel fine!" Johnny argued.

"We can't risk it," Reid said, ending the discussion.

"Sorry kid," Ben said before following Susan and Reid to the jet. Johnny watched as they took off, waiting till they were out of sight before hurrying back to his room to grab his suit.

The Silver surfer had been spotted in Manhattan, creating panic and confusion. When Reid, Susan and Ben arrived he was still examining the city, as if looking for something.

"What's the plan?" Ben asked once they landed. Reid stared up at the surfer, thinking.

"We could try reasoning with him," Susan suggested.

"Yah, reason," Ben laughed. Suddenly Johnny zoomed towards them.

"What are you doing here?" Susan demanded as he floated above them.

"I've got old business to finish," Johnny replied, flying towards the surfer.

"Johnny no!" Reid yelled, but it was too late. The surfer watched Johnny approaching, waiting till he was a few feet away before speaking.

"I've been searching for you," the surfer said. Johnny paused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

The surfer looked at Susan, Reid and Ben. "They do not trust me."

"Yah well you haven't exactly given them much reason to!" Johnny said. "You attacked me and really messed with my powers."

"If I am correct, you attacked me," the surfer replied.

"What do you want?" Johnny asked.

"I require your help. There is...something coming," the surfer said, watching Johnny.

"Who's coming?" Johnny demanded, still not trusting the alien.

"The destroyer of worlds. He'll be here soon, but due to our physical contact my powers have been temporarily transferred to you," the surfer explained.

"What?" Johny asked, confused. "You mean I have your powers?"

"Temporarily," the surfer said, cocking his head to the side. "And unfortunately the destroyer will be here before they return. You must face him if you wish to save your planet."

And with that the surfer turned and flew away. Johnny floated there for a few minutes, trying to process everything.

"Johnny? What did he say?" Reid asked as Johnny landed on the sidewalk in front of the team.

"Are you okay?" Susan asked, seeing the look on her brother's face. He nodded.

"Yah, just give me a minute," he said. He looked at his team, still unable to believe what the surfer had told him.

"He told me the destroyer of worlds is coming and that I somehow temporarily took his powers. I think he wants us to fight," Johnny explained.

Everyone was quiet. "He wants us to do what?" Ben asked.

"He wants us to save the world," Johnny replied.


End file.
